Coal and coke treated with oil



Patented Nov. 8, 1932 FRANK C. BROEMBN, F CINCINNATI, OHIO CQAL AND.COKE TREATED WITH OIL No Drawing.

This invention relates to fuels, such as commercial coal, coke orsimilar fuels, treated to prevent dusting during handling or storage.

An object of the invention is to produce a more desirable fuel bytreating such fuels with a spray of oil, or an emulsion of oil andwater, in quantities suflicient to prevent dusting but insuificient tomaterially alter 9 the character or affect combustion of the fuel.

Another object is to produce at a reasonable cost, a fuel having theabove mentioned advantages. I The present invention resides in theapplication of atomized or emulsified oil, or other binder substance, tocommercial coal or coke and its dust as it is moved along a conveyor orchute or is dumped from a storage bin or other container. An oil ofabout 32 to 34 gravity, having a burning point rating of approximatelylOO degrees F, with a high flash point, (approximately 350 degreesproduces excellent results. The oil used, therefore, is a light mineraloil which is liquid enough to atomize readily when subjected, in anatomizer, to air pressure of about 100 pounds per square inch. Inpractice, it has been found that one-third to one gallon of oil for eachton of coal is sufficient to preclude dusting of coal without renderingit 1 noticeably greasy, the amount of oil. necessary for treating cokeand hard coal being somewhat less. I

The equipment necessary to treat the coal or coke consists merely of anatomizer and air pump, and the amount of oil required is comparativelysmall. The cost, therefore, of treating the coal or coke is not sogreatas to render the treatment impractical from a- 0 cost standpoint.The dust of coal or coke treated in the foregoing manner, tends toadhere to the slightly oily lumps or larger particles, the dustparticles themselves and the larger particles carrying sufficient oil tocause 5 adhesion of the dust thereto. The handling of commercial coal,coke or similar fuel treated in the foregoing manner, is rendered lessinconvenient and disagreeable, thereby increasing its popularity as afuel in domestic as well as in industrial consumption.

Application filed July 14, 1930. Serial No. 467,980.

The word commercial,'as applied herein to coal, coke and similar fuels,means that character of-fuel in any form, for example, run-of-mine, lumpor slack.

lln instances wherein an immediate and limited amount of handling iscontemplated, an emulsion of oil andwvater may be used with goodresults.

The disclosure herein, so far as concerns the oil used, is illustrative,it being readily recognized that the gravity, flash and viscosity mayvary somewhat without appreciable change so far as efi'ect or ultimateresult is concerned. The oil should have a flash point lower than theignition point of the coal, coke or similar product, it should got betoo low because of possibility of there I] bustion. The oil should be ofsuch specific gravity that it may be readily applied, taking intoconsideration temperature and, available apparatus for applying same,also the specific gravity of the oi should not be such that the oilwould be classified amongst the oils that are volatile and will oxidizeat ordinary temperatures and pressures and/or so heavy that they cannotreadily cover the outer faces of the coal particles and penetrate thecoal particles to some little distance. Although an oil of thecharacteristics heretofore mentioned herein will give very satisfactoryresults, good results may be obtained from various oils that'havesubstantially the following limitations, viz: flash approximately 350degrees F; specific gravity approximately 32 degrees Baum and of aviscosity such that it will atomize quite readily when subjected to airpressure of about pounds per square inch.

Some of the advantageous attainments from the invention are absence ordecrease of creating the hazard of spontaneous comclinker residue,facilitates ignition of the fuel, produces clean dustless fuel,stimulates demand for run of mine coal for domestic or residence use,and obviates need of wood for kindling a fire in a stove or furnace. p

There may be some variation in the amount of oil that is applied to thefuel, however, one-half gallon to one gallon should be adequate toprovide a Surface covering to one ton of fuel. It is obvious that moreoil may be required to surface a ton of slack coal than a ton of lumpcoal because of the total exposed or surface area on the largernumber ofsmall particles of slack is greater 5 than the surface area of thelesser number of larger pieces of fuel in the lump coal. The oil shouldnot be used in so large a quantity as will permit any free oil to searate from the mass of fuel. It is there ore evident that the characterof the combustible matter namely, coal, coke, fine, coarse and mixed mayrequire some slight variation in the quantity of oil to be applied toattain the best results, however, good results will be attained withinthe limits mentioned herein regardless ofthe characteristics of the fuelbase or combustible matter. a What is claimed is: 1. As a fuel,commercial coal or coke sprayed with a light mineral oil ofapproximately 32 to 34 gravity in the proportion of approximatelyone-third gallon to one gallon of oil to eac ton of coal or coke. 2. Afuel pro uct comprising combustible I matter of coal or coke origin andhavin mineral oil applied to its outer face, the oi being proportionalto the combustible matter, 1n the ratio of approximately one-half to onegallon of oil to one ton'of fuel, the oil having a burnin point ratingapproximately 400 degrees and a flash Eomt approximating 350 degrees F.,s eci c gravity approximating 32 degrees aum and av1su cosity such thatit will atomize readily when subjected in an atomizer, to air'pressureapproximatlng 100 pounds per square inch. v

3. A fuel product comprising combustible matter of coal or coke originaving a sur- 0 face coatin of and some penetration by a mineral o' ofapproximately 32 degrees Baum specific gravity and a flash pointofapfi'oximately 350 degrees F.

' testimony whereof, I have hereunto 5 subscribedmy name this 11th dayof July,

FRANK G. BROEMAN.

